How to make accurate repeatable cuts between sessions

I’m sure this question has been answered before but my search skills suck and I’m really not sure how to ask the question for the search to find it, so please forgive me for this.

I am planning on producing an RC model kit and will be cutting a lot of sticks in various widths on the table saw from sheet stock. I plan to make a run of about 10 kits at a time, so I figure I will cut all the sticks of a certain width first, then move the fence to the next size and so on. My question is, it may be a few months before I make another run and will need to go through the process agan. I would like to have a way to set the saw at the exact same widths as the previous series of cuts. Doing it by eye can get me pretty close, but I was wondering if there was an easy way to quickly set up for each wiidth without doing a lot of measuring. Is just placing a previously cut stick between the fence and blade good enough? It’s sometimes hard to do because the set in the teeth throws me off.

Thanks,

Joe

12 replies so far

Joe, I have an idea that could work. Make a stair-step-shaped jig that fits in your table saw’s miter slot. The different steps of the jig will always be a fixed distance from the blade of your table saw. Push your piece along the fence, and the cutoff will always be the right size. No more guessing, and no measuring each time you want to crank out a batch.

Behold the unparalleled glory of MS Paint. It should illustrate the idea, though.

Oh yeah, don’t forget to label everything. Not only the measurements of various widths, either. I’m not nearly as active as some of the folks on here. But I’ve already had more than one occasion when I’ve built a jig and forgotten what it was originally for.

If I’m following the question accurately then it sounds as though you need a sled dedicated (temporarily) to this cut: one sled with a block clamped to the right position from which you cut your pieces for today as well as additional pieces in the future. Accurate one-runner sleds are easy to make and so I keep a small stable of them for these sorts of situations .

If you keep one complete set of cuts, when you go back to recut you can set your fence by putting any given pre cut board between the teeth and the fence. One test cut will show how many thousandths of an inch you might be off, if any. I do this quite often with repeatable projects. I don’t trust my fence indicator over time.

@Joe – when you say cut the sticks to a certain width, then adjust the fence and cut some or are you meaning to say that you are ripping the pieces from wider stock. Or are you going to be cutting the pieces to the correct length with cross cuts?

Great ideas, guys. Thanks. I like miter slot jig BTimmons posted. t maybe just few setup blocks to place between the blade and fence would be just as good?

I’m using a Biesemeyer fence. And to clarify, I will be ripping sticks from wider sheets. FYI, these will be mostly balsa sticks with a few basswood or spruce pieces thrown in. When you buy balsa you can get it already cut into sticks, but buying a sheet and cutting your own saves over 60% of the costs. Over time, that adds up quickly! The sticks will mainly be from 3/8” thick stock and vary from 3/8” to 3/4” wide. I ended up buying a Grripper just for this purpose. Make cutting those thinner strips LOT safer!

Joe – when you say RC in my mind I see many narrow/thin sticks. Cutting thin sticks between the fence and the blade is a pretty hazardous operation and should be avoided at all costs.

For cutting narrow/thin strips and maintaining consistent dimensions (today and tomorrow) I would suggest looking into a “thin rip” jig. This jig (either store bought or shop made) will keep the thin/narrow piece on the outside of the blade making this cut more safe and also allow you to keep consistent dimensions on the thickness of the parts cut

The thin sticks always scared me until I got the Grripper. It’s easy to hold both the stick and the sheet in place and it keeps your fingers away from the blade. Plus, I don’t have to move the fence after every cut like you do with a thin-rip jig. I got the 1/8” attachment so it is possible to cut strips as narrow as 1/8” safely.